Rangers minor leaguer Brian Barden, a third baseman, has opted out of his contract and become a free agent, according to Jeff Wilson of the Fort-Worth Star Telegram (via Twitter).
Barden, whose most extensive time in the Majors came with the Cardinals in 2009, was hitting .357/.403/.556 with Triple-A Round Rock before opting out, although those robust numbers were posted in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League. Texas signed Barden in December.
